By Doras Tin
My time here at Gili Shark Conservation has come to an end, and it feels like I’m leaving behind a whole family. Everyone here is so kind, so accepting, and so encouraging. I’ve never felt so empowered to continue pursuing my passion for marine conservation and medicine.
I vividly remember having dinner with Yasmin at Lockdown. Yasmin is very funny, accepting and extremely intelligent. Her most defining trait is that she is deeply curious and always upfor learning— languages, chess, politics—she is always up for an intellectual challenge! I loved learning about how the history and governance of Indonesia affect daily life for the locals and was especially intrigued by how political the waters are in Indonesia. We also talked about our deep love for the ocean and the challenges of choosing a life path that doesn’t follow the norm. This conversation stayed with me, and upon reflection, I realise now that ultimately, my fulfilment, my internal feelings are dependent on the decisions that I, myself, make. Not dependent on my family’s pride, my friend’s happiness—I needed to overcome my fear of my family feeling shameful of me, or my guilt for “wasting their money and investment in my education”. Yasmin shared her story with me, and that gave me the confidence to start trying to live a life that truly fulfills me, regardless of what anyone else thinks.
Venny also had a huge impact on how I see my future. On paper and in person, she’s bright,bold, and incredibly caring. She had the courage to leave behind a stable tech career in Singapore to follow her passion in marine biology — and that choice inspires me deeply. She’s a constant reminder to follow my heart, even when the path feels uncertain. One evening, I was chatting with Yasmin and Venny about girl power, and it helped me reconnect with a part of myself I had long buried — my love for conservation. Growing up surrounded by Chinese culture, I was often forced to eat things like puffer fish and bear. I was told that my actions didn’t matter — that turning off taps or caring about the environment was useless in the face of large industrial and agricultural systems that dominate resource use. Slowly, I internalized the belief that my desire to protect the planet was naive, even pointless.
Through that conversation, I also came to understand how deeply misogyny is embedded in society. As a girl, I’ve often felt that my role is to stay quiet, smile, and be pleasing — not to lead, challenge, or disrupt. Many of the women I admired growing up — Malala, Greta Thunberg, Emma Watson, even Elphaba from Wicked — were labeled as “too much”: too bold, too emotional, too aggressive, too radical. Greta and Elphaba were portrayed as having disorders; Emma was called a feminazi. The bold, brave traits I shared with them slowly faded away as I tried to fit into a mold that wasn’t mine.
But after that night, I realised something powerful: none of it is true. I am allowed to be bold. I am allowed to want more. My desire to make a difference — through marine conservation and medicine — is valid and important. And I’m no longer willing to let outdated ideas or other people’s opinions dictate who I am or what I can do. Meeting Jane was another turning point. I’ll never forget Olivia, my friend who was training as a DMT with me, asking if I had a “lady boner” after our first interaction — and honestly, yes. Jane is always smiling, always supportive, and so damn smart. She never made me feel stupid and was so re-assuring and helpful, even when Olivia and I forgot to bring our passports to immigration in Lombok. She’s a reassuring, fun, and an amazing instructor and person.
My favorite duo: Kinah and Jane. Kinah was like my diving mother. She always had helpful tips, taught me how to complete RDP tables, and always makes me feel so safe. And she’s so funny — criminally underrated in the humor department. Kinah is truly a girl’s girl, she is so sweet, so caring and so helpful.
Wika is one of the bubbliest, kindest girls I’ve ever met and really, it was because of her that I began talking more comfortably with all the staff. Wika is always positive and always makes time for my random, distracting conversations even when she has her freelance work. She is soo patient, and so hardworking. She has a heart filled with love and compassion and a smile so chantikkk. At the start, I thought Wika was going to be annoying as she was in charge of blogs (I hate writing), but I would honestly do anything for that girl now. Wika is so smart, so cute, and just so safe to be around. I joke with her that she is my mother, always remembering things, teaching me things and never judging me. I am really, really going to miss her.Funny how my brother phelps was close to Aris, and I am close to Wika.
I absolutely love Nat. She’s incredibly sweet, endlessly patient, and so fun to be around. I genuinely want to learn how to communicate the way she does — calm, kind, and thoughtful.
I loooovvveee Izzy. She’s not just my diving mother, she’s my role model. Always on top of everything, effortlessly cool, and her stories? Hilarious. I always felt safe diving with her, and supervising her was a highlight of my days. Her dive equipment is SO cool, and she just radiates competence and warmth.
Tanya is such a role model to me. Even though I didn’t get to speak with her as much as I would have liked, she had a huge influence on me. Her passion for sharks is absolutely infectious, and her dedication to learning is truly inspiring. Tanya doesn’t just study marine life because it’s part of her job — she learns because she genuinely loves the ocean. She’s so smart. The way she articulates her ideas, the depth and breadth of her knowledge — it all left a lasting impression on me. Beyond that, she’s incredibly kind and thoughtful. She always checks in to ask how we’re doing, and she goes out of her way to include everyone in conversations. Tanya has this calm strength about her that makes you feel safe and seen, and I really admire that.
Abel is honestly one of the cutest, kindest, and hardest-working people I’ve ever met. She has this incredible energy — always smiling, always uplifting others, always bringing joy to the surface. She has a way of making everyone feel seen, included, and happy. She made me realise how powerful and infection happiness is and how impactful it is to others to spread it around. I was in awe of Abel, she is like a human ray of sunshine — always beaming with energy, constantly uplifting everyone around her. I remember feeling a slight sense of relief when she once asked me, “Do you ever feel like your mind is thinking all the time?” In that moment, I realised she was human too — that beneath all the joy and light she gives to others, she also feels tired, overwhelmed, or weighed down sometimes. It made me love and admire her even more. It showed me how deeply she cares, how much she gives, and how real she is. She wasn’t just this cheerful presence — she was a human with depth,
with happiness, with vulnerability, and with a heart that still chose to brighten other people’s days. deeply she cares about others. She wants to create beautiful moments for the people around her, but like everyone, she carries her own struggles too.
There’s something so special about that — about her honesty, her warmth, her strength. Abel is so smart, so cute, and just so fun to be around. I’m really, really going to miss her. It’s hard to put into words just how much love and light she brought into my time here.
Ivonne, Ivonne — I loooove Ivonne. Even when she gives me that signature look of disgust that cracks me up every time. She always tried to trick me into handing over my bracelets or my dory fish, and somehow it never got old. Diving with her was always a highlight — whether it was Halik or Shark Point, especially that unforgettable turtle ID dive where we saw sixteen turtles. Absolutely phenomenal. She’s more than just a solid dive buddy. She’s genuinely fun, full of energy, and brings this
effortless sense of ease and excitement to every dive. She taught me to say “Saya suka mabuk”, and I really wish we’d gone partying together at least once. There’s just something so cool about her. I always felt lucky to be paired with her, and I’m really going to miss those dives — and her — so much.
The group of girls at Gili Shark and Coral Catch has been one of the most amazing groups of girls I’ve ever had the honor of being part of. What Yasmin and Venny said really stayed with me — changing the world isn’t about someone being in charge, it’s about collaboration. It’s so easy for girl friendships to be broken by jealousy or toxicity. But not at Gili Shark Conservation? This was my first time ever feeling like what a privilege it is to be a woman, surrounded by other supportive and outstanding women, working toward something meaningful. Waking up every morning during my 6 weeks here knowing I’d see these girls again brought me joy I can’t even describe, and it makes me sad that I won’t see them anymore.
My Reflection as a Divemaster at BM
Being a Divemaster at BM taught me so much — not just about diving or conservation, but about who I am and who I want to be. First of all, I loved the responsibility — looking after other people’s safety gave me a sense of purpose. I liked learning to stay calm in stressful situations and learning how to take better care of the students, myself and equipment each time. Every improvement, every lesson, made me feel more fulfilled. Taking responsibility for my students divd equiptment, carrying it on the boat, off the boat really increased my confidence and speed in using scuba gear, which was deeply fulfilling for me! The team at BM was so supportive but also pushed me — in the best way. I felt like everyone was there for me and I’m so grateful that they created a learning environment where I could ask as many questions as so wanted to and explore the depths of my curiosity.
Also, I learned that I love meeting new people, new customers who were all unique. Hearing about their lives — whether that is in the North Sea, being in physio, building their own computers — showed me how diverse life paths can be. It was so fascinating how we can all be so different, yet at the same time, still sure a common love for the ocean. Working with different groups of customers really broadened my perspective and taught me how to connect with all kinds of people. And that was one of my favourite parts of my DM Training. My very first group of students was a Danish family, and I’ll never forget one moment in particular — the young boy signaled for my help during the dive. It turned out to be just a simple mask issue, but the feeling of being able to support him in that moment was incredibly fulfilling.
On the second dive, his mother reached out for my arm for reassurance, and again I felt that deep sense of purpose — that I was truly there to help. Having dived with my own mother before, I understood that to help her feel safe, I needed to first look after her youngest child. Only then could she focus on her own safety and enjoy the dive. They were such a kind, lovely family, and I’ll always remember that experience with so much warmth.
When I dived with Katon, I had moments I’ll never forget. One time, I was supervising a DSD, and for a moment I thought she had trouble because she wasn’t moving — but when she looked up at me, I realized she was just in awe. Completely still, mind fused with the underwater world around her. She didn’t need to see big animals — she just wanted to be in the ocean. That moment changed me. I mean I’ve felt it heal me before, but this time, I saw the ocean heal people. The look in their eyes during the dive, and the spark of magic in their eyes after the dive. It’s amazing how a turtle can shift a bad mood. Yes, I love marine biology, I love science, but it’s undeniable that there is magic within our ocean too. The ocean is miraculous, beautiful. It’s peace. It’s therapy.
Using French to explain things to DSDs also made me realize how valuable language skills are. Language opens doors — not just for communication, but for connection. I’ve always been the student, the kid, the customer. But here, for the first time, I felt like an adult. I had to take care of myself, speak with adults like equals, manage responsibilities, and grow up — fast. It was weird, but it was amazing.
Diving for “free” at BM and being part of conservation work made me realize how privileged I am to witness this ecosystem. At the start of this trip, I probably would’ve looked at Seahorse Bay( a sandy bay with sea grass) and thought it was a boring site. But now? I love it. I love how the ecosystem in the ocean is so different. I was so happy that Zi got to see different kinds of animals. Different kinds of nudi branches, pipefish, and my absolutely favourite, moray eels— i realised that every detail was alive and important and I learned to appreciate it all.
One of my favorite conversations was with Dania about marine medicine. My dream — diving, marine science, trauma surgery, and helping underserved communities — felt closer than ever. Hearing her talk about wanting to build a school, support children, and create a boat to deliver care around the Gilis made me feel like: this is it. This is what I want. I didn’t even realize how close I was to my dream until that moment.
Final Thoughts
This experience — between Gili Shark Conservation and BM — made me feel powerful, capable, and clear. I learned that I can follow my own path, love the ocean with everything I have, and use that love to create real, lasting change. I’ve met the most incredible people, gained skills I never thought I’d have, and most importantly — I’ve learned who I am. I’m not letting anyone else define my future. I know what I want. And I’m going for it.
